St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-11-08
ENGEL'S ATTEMPT.
The Old Man Tells Why He Tried
to Kill HIMSELF

CHICAGO, Nov. 7.-JuSt before noon
to-day Anarchist Engel was visited by
DIR. j. l.. Gray, assistant county ply
sician, to whom the anarchist made a
partial confession of his attempted sui
eide. In addition to swallowing the
laudanum, Engel said he took sixteen
morphine pills Friday night. DR.. Gray
was amazed at this intelligence. but
understood why they proved Intellectual
when Engel said he had the pills ever
since he was brought to the Jail. That
was exactly year and half ago yes
terday, and long since then the pills
ceased to have any active power. Engel
said he swallowed the pills at a
gulp late Friday night and walked his
cell all day Saturday, expecting at any
moment to fall down. When it grew
toward night and the morphine had no
effect, he resolved to take the laudanum
After his friends left in the evening he
poured out six or seven teaspoons of the
poison and tossed it off. DIR. Gray thinks
the stuff was purchased in some cheap
drug store, and that in consequence it
was adulterated and very poor article
of its kind. That is why the laudanum
didn't take effect. for if the drug were
of the right quality half the quantity
Engel swallowed would have been
enough to kill him. The old man was
made drOwSy by the poison, that was
all, and his loud breathing was what
led to the discovery. At first he said he
had been drinking whisky, but a single
glance at the pupils of the mans eyes
was enough to convince DR.. Gray he
had swallowed opium in some form.
Coffee was given him and he was made
- exert himself and move about. The
primary effect. such as it was. soon
passed off. and left the wOuld-be suicide
a little bit dazed. This forenoon he
was sleepy and confused, but withal
bit talkative. When he found further
concealment useless he told why he
wanted to die. He had rather die, he
said, than go to the penitentiary for
life, and he'd rather go off by way of
poison than the route ordained by the
law. He didn't think he had a fair
trial. The old man said he had only
made three speeches, and what he
seemed to regret most was that he had
not made thirty or 800 speeches when he
found he was to be hanged for speech
making. Asked by Dr.. Gray how long
he had had the laudanum, he answered:
"Oh, long time" but he would not
tell how he got it or who gave it to him.
George Engel, the wOuld-be suicide,
acted like big gruff bear with sore
head the entire day. He is reported to
have said To representatives of the Am
nesty association that his letter given to
the public short time ago in which he
expressed himself like Parsons as wish
ing eitl er liberty or death was forced
from Lin by
A POWERFUL OUTSIDE INFLUENCE,
the nature of which he dare not di-
vulge. He also said that this letter was
not even written by him, but was
penned outside the Jail and sent him for
his signature. He alleged that thus
which he did not feel at heart had
broken him all up and that he did not
care to live any longer. He also
declared that against his will
he had been prevented from signing
the petition which Spies, Fielden and
Schwab had addressed to Gov. Ogelsby.
During the day Parsons wrote long
communication, which he handed to
the reporters unsigned. 1t was an al
most hysterical denunciation of the
bomb discovery as pre-arranged trick
of the condemned mems enemies to
blacken them in the eyes of the public.
The meals of the prisoners being no
longer allowed to come from their
friends, but being instead furnished by
the sheriff, he permitting the men to
order at his expense whatever they like,
the bill of fare has become subject of
PRESSED to-day as to just what food such
a man as the Bombmaker Lingg would
like. When the time came Lingg
calmly requested blOod-sausage, sauer-
kraut and apple pie. He ate them all
with a relish